Ranger's Apprentice: Tales Untold

Forgive me Pt. 3

IT HAD BEEN WEEKS, at a guess. The days flew by, blending into one until Halt wasn't sure how many days had passed. All sense of time had melted together; Halt's only focus was helping his apprentice to recover.

He glanced over at the boy now; Will was asleep in the corner, huddled in a small ball. The fits had disappeared, and now Will would only give him a pleading look for the drug. It took all of Halt's strength to not say no and tear it away. But he didn't have a choice but give it to him.

Halt sighed, and then grabbed his longbow. "I'm going out," he called to the incoherent boy. As usual, there was no reply.

Horace and Evanlyn looked up as he walked outside, their faces flushed with the cold. "Where are you going?" the Princess asked.

"Out hunting," he replied briefly. "Keep an eye out for Will." They both nodded assent, and watched as his form disappeared among the trees.

~~~

THE GROUND WAS HARD. Hard and cold. Consciousness flickered into his mind, and he forced his eyes open, staring blearily at his surroundings. It took all his strength to simply raise himself to his feet. He stumbled against the wall, his mind still fuzzy.

A noise came from somewhere, but he didn't think much on it. Rubbing his eyes, he blinked in surprise. He was in a cabin...but he'd been in a ship, in Erak's ship, before...when had he come to a cabin?

Evanlyn! He suddenly realized that the girl was nowhere to be seen. She was in danger, from the Vallasvow that Ragnak had made, a revenge vow on Duncan's family...and she was Cassandra, the Crown Princess. Where was she? Had she been caught? Had he sold her out.

He whirled around towards the door and froze. Standing there, staring at him, was she. Her eyes were wide, as though she'd just seen a ghost. "Evanlyn–!" he exclaimed, and then his words were cut off as another form appeared at her side.

Horace? Will's mind spun, and he took a step back. When had Horace gotten here? He'd made sure the other boy had gotten away; both him and Evanlyn had. "What...?"

"Will?" Horace was the first to speak, a disbelieving look on his face. "You're...you're alright?" Will tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. He didn't know what to say; the questions on the tip of his tongue would tangle up together, he knew.

"What are you two doing, standing in the–?" All three of them whirled around as a short, gray-haired man stood behind them, carrying a longbow, and a sack, a lump inside of it. Deep-set eyes focused on Will, and the two items fell from the man's hand.

Will's mouth went dry; tears sprung in his eyes. No, he thought. There was no way this was true. This was some twisted dream, some nightmare. First Horace, and then...? How was it possible?

"Will?" The Hibernian accent was audible as the man's voice wavered. Will pinched his arm; nope, not a dream. This...somehow, what he was seeing, was real.

"Halt...?" His voice broke at the end, and he rushed forward, throwing his arms around the grizzled Ranger. This was real. This wasn't his imagination. Halt was here. He hadn't given up on him.

Warm arms wrapped around him, and Will squeezed his eyes shut as sobs began shaking his body. But they weren't from sadness; all those days away from Halt...and now he was back.

Halt hadn't given up on him.